Athletes have been getting a bad rap lately for domestic abuse, child abuse, drug abuse, and many other high profile incidents. It’s a real shame that some see all athletes have as guilty by association, because there are some genuinely nice guys out there who look to help out in the community. Some have even saved peoples’ lives. So, to better the public perception of athletes, I’m going to show some of the most recent heroic deeds done by athletes. Hopefully you’ll see them in a different light.
1.) Nomar Garciaparra
In 2005, Nomar (also pronounced Nomaaahhh by Boston fans) was staying at his Charleston estate when his uncle heard a scream come from outside. When they rushed outside, they saw that two women had fallen into the harbor. One woman apparently hit her head, knocking her unconscious. Nomar and his uncle jumped in to grab the women and swim them to safety.
2.) Martellus Bennett
Bennett finished a stellar performance in a game and walked to the locker room. While he walked toward the tunnel, he noticed that fans were leaning over the guard rail and had a bad gut feeling in his gut about one man who appeared to be leaning over a bit too much. Bennett was right. The man flipped over the rail and fell, only for Bennett to catch him.
3.) Chris Davis
Just a few days ago, Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis, witnessed a car crash and flip over. When he rushed to the scene, he realized that the truck was pinning a man down. He flagged nearby pedestrians to help him lift the truck up off of the man, who thankfully survived and appeared to sustain only minor injuries.
4.) Leonard Pope
Pope was hosting a pool party at his place in June 2011. One of the kids at the party, a 6-year-old boy, went under in the deep end of the pool. The child’s mother saw the impending tragedy, and shouted for help, as she was unable to swim. Pope rushed out of the house and dove in, saving the boy from drowning.
5.) Todd Frazier
In May 2012, Reds player Todd Frazier was at a local Pittsburgh restaurant when he saw a man choking on his food. Frazier rushed over and began giving the Heimlich Maneuver to the man, who spat out the piece of food lodged in his throat. The man didn’t recognize Frazier as a baseball player, but nevertheless was grateful for the act.
6.) Nelson Cruz
Another Oriole player, Nelson Cruz made a great purchase for his hometown in the Dominican Republic. Cruz bought the community’s first firetruck, helping start their first fire station. This will save countless lives and is truly a great donation.
7.) Lou Williams
On Christmas Eve, 2011 Lou Williams drove down the road when suddenly a mugger approached him at a stoplight. The mugger, intending to steal money, ditched the plan upon recognizing Williams and thanked him for all he had done for the community. Williams knew the mugger was on hard times, so he invited him to McDonald’s and treated him to a meal.
See, not all athletes are bad guys! Have some faith in humanity, people. Everyone has some good in them somewhere, and athletes are no different. I hope we start to hear even more stories about the good work athletes do when they’re away from the crowd.
